Goosebumps

Chapter 14: The Stagger Inn Hotel

Stine

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"Where can they be?" Zach repeated his question, his arms still crossed over his chest. "And I hope you're not wrong this time," he said, thinking that I made a mistake of where the girls are at, as if he didn't trust me.

"Zach, I'm sure I figured out where they went to," I assured him. Champ opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "Don't say 'are we going to one of the other scary areas like Fever Swamp'," I mimicked the awkward teen's voice, mocking him.

"Hey!" Champ protested, feeling a bit offended. "That's not what I was going to ask," he responded angrily.

"Alright..." I said. "What are you going to say?" I asked him with a raised brow, waiting for what he's gonna say.

"Are we going to Black Lagoon Water Park?" he replied nervously and timidly.

I clenched my teeth together. "Really, kid?" I started, getting irritated already for questioning me on that. "Champion, we're not going to that place because like I stated, I might of figured out where the girls are at," I explained to him.

Zach gave me a disbelief look. "Yeah, right," he scoffed, being very skeptical about it. "Stine, we almost checked every area, how can you possibly know?"

"I said that I might know where they can be," I corrected.

"Sure..." He rolled his eyes, still not believing a word that I was saying.

"I'm serious," I protested in all seriousness. Zach just rolled his eyes again, almost smirking at me. It only disappeared when I gave him the look, the one that I always give to Hannah ever since she came around to my existence. "If you won't believe me, then I just have to take you there."

"Alright," he shrugged. "Just lead the way," he said, uncrossing his arms and letting them drop to his sides. "I'm not sure to believe you or not, but... go on ahead. I really need to see if the girls are okay. Both of them."

I sighed. "...so do I." And with that, I led the boys down Horrorland. Champ stayed in between me and Zach like we were shields or something, and yelped when he heard something. "It's just an owl. Are you afraid of owls?" I questioned him.

It took a minute for him to answer. "...yes..." he nodded, feeling embarrassed. "Like I mentioned a few nights ago...I'm afraid of everything," he repeated during that one night. "And I'm not good at anything either... my parents are even thinking about kicking me out of their home," he added in a gloomy mood. "I guess they don't want a coward who's always screaming when something 'scary' happens," he then muttered, as if he hated his own parents. "I mean, they're good at everything. My mom was an all-American sprinter and a two-time world debate champion, and my dad won a bronze medal in the '92 Olympics." He kicked a rock out of his way, watching it bounce off one of the snack booths. "Why can't I be as good as them?" I can tell by his face that he actually hated himself. "If they kick me out... I have to find somewhere else to live. Only here's the problem." Another kick of a rock, this time sailing to one of the Horror's that is sweeping up the pavement. I was expecting the rock to hit the monster, except it landed on the ground and the Horror swept it up like it was nothing. "I have nowhere to go," Champ continued his talking. "I can't visit my grandma anymore nor live with her because she lives in Pasadena after reading that one Goosebumps book about the Abominable Snowman monster which almost killed us if Hazel hadn't trapped it back in the manuscript that it got out of," he fumed, having me in shock to see a different side of him. "And I can't live with my aunt and uncle because they have dogs, and I don't know what to do with my life!" he yelled, this time picking up a rock and throwing it as far as he can. After doing so, I saw a tear forming at the corner of his eye. "I shouldn't be around anymore... and I shouldn't have a girlfriend anyway," he cracked, his voice breaking. "I'm not good at anything... I never liked myself and I hide it all the time. I'm an awful son to my own parents... my own damn parents." The tear even rolled down his cheek.